Miscommunication
by sirli
Summary: Rockstar Jack and escaped convict Riddick live together on a tiny ship. But personal issues and communication problems make both of them unhappy. How will they deal when the enemy strikes? Prequel to Whatever It Takes
1. Chapter 1

"**Miscommunication****" by sirli**

**SummaryRockstar Jack and escaped convict Riddick live together on a tiny ship. But personal issues and communication problems make both of them unhappy. How will they deal when the enemy strikes? **

**Rating: M for language, violence and adult themes. That's the way I like it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Jack, Riddick or anything related to their movies. But I would like you to drop me a line if you're going to use this story or parts of it (poems) somewhere.**

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* * *

JACK'S STUPID DIARY:_

_Sometimes, only sometimes, if I loose my guard, I dream of living some other life. We don't talk all that much – Riddick is not someone you'd call in touch with his feelings – so I have a lot of time to dream. I think of this perfect life that every girl wants for herself. Yeah, I am stupid and a part of me is still a completely ordinary every-day girl. So that secret part of me dreams on undying love for someone and of happy endings. As if that could ever happen!_

_I am almost 18. But I feel like I've been a grown-up for as long as I can remember. I guess I just never had the time to be carefree and not think about survival. Riddick doesn't see it that way, but what does he know about me anyway? We have lived together for the past 5 years ever since the crash, but he is just as much of a mystery to me now as he was back then. I figure it goes both ways. _

_Now he is sitting in the pilot's chair. If I wouldn't know better, I'd think he's sleeping. I can see him from where I am – laying flat on my stomach on my mattress in the main room. He knows I am watching him. He knows I am writing again. But as always, he doesn't ask a thing. It's hard to admit that he really doesn't care at all._

Jack placed another single sheet on top of many others and closed them to a heavy iron chest. Carefully she reactivated the bomb attached to it; so if any crazy fuck tried to open it without the 3 right codes, 9 digits each, he would be blown to pieces. And what's more important, the diary would burn to ashes. It was a clever little thing Jack had invented to protect herself and Riddick. She wondered if the explosive mechanism was the reason Riddick allowed her little weakness. Jack just needed to write down some things she felt with or thought about. That's how she dealt with it – one sheet with her soul per week.

Jack lifted the heavy box back to the corner between her mattress and the wall. All her other personal items were kept in two bags in the same corner. She dug around in one of the ready-to-go sacks and took her towel and soap. Without a single more word or look in Riddick's direction, she headed to the bathroom.

One of the little pleasures of having such an old shitty ship as theirs was the shower with actual water. Of course – if they would have something better than Mortimer Nova, she could maybe even have her own room plus to the sonic showers. To have a private place to call her own was something she had always wished for. But Jack knew better than to complain about it to Riddick. Having a mattress on his ship was better than being deserted somewhere. Yeah, Jack knew better than to become a whining burden.

_And as long as I don't have to take my goddamned shower in front of Riddick, I really don't have a whole lot of reason to complain,_ Jack thought sarcastically. She took her time to wash herself and later to look at the small cracked mirror on the wall. Jack was still always surprised to see who looked back at her from the mirror. She still saw herself as a bold girl pretending to be a boy, scrawny and stricken. In reality she had finally blossomed. Jack's hair had grown back, and in order to prove Riddick she's not worshipping him anymore, she kept it long. Now it reached her mid back. Jack sighed and left the bathroom. Riddick was gone from the cockpit. There were two options as of where he had gone – to the kitchen or to the dojo. Jack listened, but couldn't hear any sounds of his whereabouts. Typical. _Must be spacewalking,_ she told to herself, and immediately burst to laughter.

Having a dojo was necessary, no matter how little room they had on the ship. It was once designed for a bedroom, but Riddick had rebuilt it. He tended to get all freaky and shit if he couldn't release some of his extra energy and frustration. Even Jack found him scary sometimes when something in Riddick seemed to build up in him. Looked like the dojo helped though.

Jack sat back on her so-called bed and fished out a guitar-like instrument. That was her second and the last allowed weakness. She liked to write songs and to perform them. Not as if her audience was all that big – only her own ears. Riddick of course must have heard her over a hundred times, or know of her singles sold on every fucking planet in the galaxy. _But did he say anything about my talent? Noooo…_

Jack in fact had quite a name in the music world. Many of her songs were very popular. But nobody knew her identity, no one had seen her. She had never performed for masses, given interviews or met the millions of fans. She was the mystery rockstar known as Jack LaRock. When it had begun two years ago, Riddick's demand had been that she never – NEVER – expose who she is or what she looks like. If she did that, then Riddick couldn't care less what she did with her spare time.

Every now and then they would have little bit longer stops to get the supplies, or when Riddick had a job to do. Jack would record a domo then and post it from some planet they wouldn't be likely to come back to in near future to the record company. There, the demo would pass some miracle technical shit to sound as if it had been recorded with a band in the studio.

Jack thought with pity about all the credits the record company has saved on her untraceable account. Riddick had told her to not go near that money. It would raise questions if the account would suddenly be empty. Questions can be dangerous. And they don't need it on top of all the other shit flying around. Naturally she knew he was right. Jack could have afforded perfectly to split and leave Riddick alone. But she was afraid of the life without him. So it happened that a rockstar and the galaxy's most wanted criminal planet-jumped together and never discussed their choices.

Jack played a long intro on her guitar to find the right tune for the poem she had written earlier. Finally, her velvet, bit husky voice broke the silence.

_You're body is the monument_

_built of southern continent._

_Every muscle, every inch_

_of yourself makes you rich._

She had never been a shy girl. She didn't care if Riddick heard and thought she sucks ass. Her tone grew louder then and filled the main room; there was an erotic whisper in it when the subject needed.

_Touching skin like you're the first_

_I feel more than normal thirst._

_You are perfect, you are mine!_

_This is me – I'm alive!_

As Jack finished the verse whit what sounded more like a threat for the mankind, Riddick walked in from the kitchen. He had been there to relax and have a drink. Now his silver eyes looked at Jack in the dim light as he leaned on the wall. She hadn't ever noticed, that Jack's singing voice always seemed to draw Riddick close. As the butterflies are drown to light…

_Fire flowing in my veins_

_with your lips I play games:_

_soft, but tough,_

_tender, tough._

_I demand for lover's proof!_

_You come in, blows off roof!_

_Starting slowly, raising speed._

_You're my drug, yet my fear._

_I feel something start to click_

_in my heart so I think._

Riddick wandered casually over to the cockpit, knowing he could still both see and hear her over there. He felt somehow…disturbed to hear her singing about this. Usually her songs were about darkness, danger, unhappiness. Never love of fucking.

_Bodies climbing up the sky,_

_no one needs to be shy._

_I love you and you need me,_

_it's so right for us to be_

_skin to skin and sleep in sweat,_

_me to be hot and wet,_

_you to raise and crab my tits_

_when desire ever hits._

Riddick sighed. Jack was a really good singer; he would be the first to agree to that. But hearing her voice imitate sex was – Riddick did not like it.

_Body-mind mix_

_when desire hits._

_I'm alive, I'm alive!_

_Monument – you're mine, mine, mine!_

As her voice died down with the final, loud cry, Riddick stood up. He positioned himself in the doorway; arms spread to the both sides of the doorframe; and stared. "And what do you know about what you sang about in the first place, kid?" he asked mockingly.

Jack didn't put her guitar away. She sent him an absent-minded look and asked in return: "You really think I sit here a thumb up my ass all those nights you go out to deal with your carnal needs?" Actually, that's pretty much what she did. Jack was always too afraid that Riddick might take off without her if she's not there on the ship when he returns. _But he doesn't need to know about this,_ Jack decided.

"Know so," Riddick told her with a gruff.

"Jack shrugged. "Must have done a lousy job following me."

That was the end of their conversation. Jack knew Riddick had often followed her when they had been on land. She had developed a 6th sense about him. So she knew when Riddick had watched her as she bought some personal items every woman needs; when she had gone to the record stores to buy empty discs for later recording and those of Jack LaRock's. She didn't make a big deal out of this. Jack knew that Riddick wanted them to be safe and therefore needed to make sure she doesn't do anything foolish.

But it all didn't mean that there hadn't been few dock-workers, who were eager to give her all the attention a girl needs. Jack was a lonely person, so she needed some flirt every now so often to get over her insecurities. It reassured her. _Riddick doesn't need to know about these guys,_ Jack thought. _It would only anger him. He doesn't see that I am more than a _kid_, doesn't see that I am a normal person with all that goes with it. He also doesn't need to know that I really am still a virgin, although with some fooling around experience. He'd have a great fun making a fool out of me._

Just in spite of him, Jack sang that song one more time. She found that she quite liked this one.

* * *

It was dark. That was always the first thing she noticed when she woke from yet another nightmare. For a girl who had spent most of the last 5 years in darkness, as the light hurt her protector's eyes, she was still embarrassingly afraid of it. The second thing she noticed was Riddick's hand on her shoulder. That was something she appreciated more than anything in her life. 

"Go back to sleep," Riddick's calm voice told her. Other people would have not noticed that it held concern, but Jack did. He was laying beside her. His own mattress was placed to the opposite wall of the main room. Now he had come to lay next to her on his back, eyes closed. Jack had been tossing around in sleep and ended up on her stomach. Gratefully she sighed as she saw him there. Wiping away the tears nightmare had afflicted, she remained in the same position, and face turned to him, closed her eyes. But Jack couldn't go back to sleep. The creatures didn't hunt her anymore and the terrible feeling of being utterly lost was gone too. But sleep just wouldn't come.

Jack knew that Riddick could feel her every move, every breath she took. That's just Riddick. Always alert. Jack was afraid to jinx it just by thinking whether he would go back to his own bed to get some rest or have mercy and stay with her. She didn't want him to leave her. His heavy hand on her shoulder was sometimes the only thing keeping her sane. Jack would have liked to crawl closer as she did sometimes. She knew how good it felt to lay with his strong hands around her, his heart steadily beating under her ear. But their previous argument made her think twice. Jack couldn't handle if he would push her away.

"What's wrong?" Riddick asked. His sudden voice echoing in still air made Jack jolt.

"Nothing," she managed to answer.

Riddick didn't seem to believe it, since he turned to his side to look at Jack. His two shining eyes were like stars in the dark sky. _Something to help navigate through the life,_ Jack wondered. They held eye contact for a long time, no words were necessary. His silver eyes and her green ones built a bridge in the night to unite two souls.

Finally she said: "Is it close to morning? I think I'm not sleepy anymore."

"No. What's bothering you?" Riddick asked. He didn't sound too eager to get the answer, but the mare fact that he had just asked, meant the world for Jack.

She thought about it for a while, trying to find the words. "Was my song really that off the mark?" she asked.

His hand that had moved from her shoulder to rest on her back as he had turned, twitched a little. Riddick hadn't been expecting this. "No, kid, it was dead on," he had to admit.

Jack didn't know how to take this. Riddick never lied to her nor did he sugar-coat anything. _So the song must be true._ She didn't want to go down the slippery road and analyze what it all meant in that case. _What's the point anyway?_

"When will we land?" Jack asked instead. Riddick had never tried to talk about ´the birds and the bees with her. Thank god! Maybe he thought a 13 year old runaway should know all there is to know about the sex act, Jack didn't know. But what she did know was that it would be wiser to change the subject and to not tempt fate.

"The morning after tomorrow. Early."

Jack nodded. "What do you want me to do?"

"Not to practice what you sang about," he stated with faked fatherly concern. That made Jack laugh out loud. Riddick just wasn't the type of a guy to nosy around, except when it was really important. It had been a joke. He continued with more serious tone: "Go clean the cargo hold tomorrow."

Jack smiled a little and nodded her head. "Good night, Riddick."

"Night."

Jack fought the sleep that now tried to pull her under; to make sure Riddick won't leave her. She wasn't going to be disappointed.


	2. Chapter 2

M Kappa was a desert planet. It looked uncomfortably similar to T2. They docked there to pick up Riddick's shipment of what was most likely illegal goods. They took smuggling jobs as often as possible; it was safer than being a hired killer.

"Order supplies and fuel, do the regular check-up and stay low. I'm going out," Riddick told her while putting his goggles on.

"K," Jack shrugged. It was always like this. She knew he'd be back the next morning. Riddick's inner animal needed to be let loose, either with killing, fucking or serious pub crawling. Usually, it was all of it combined. Jack didn't mind. She had always known what Riddick was about and had accepted it since the day one.

He was gone the next second. It still freaked Jack out a little how Riddick could move soundlessly and that he does it faster than the eye could catch. Jack strapped out of the co-pilot's seat and went to change clothes. It was a hell of a heat out there! They always stayed near the suns and avoided winter planets. It took darn much of fuel to keep this baby in space anyways, so no need to waste its energy on the heat system. That was another thing Jack found to her liking. Freezing and heavy clothing 24/7 was not her kind of a thing.

So Jack put on her usual white tank top and low cut light blue jean shorts. Once upon a time they had been new and nice, the usual jeans. But as they ripped and ripped some more, she cut off the legs. It looked cool to wear something like hot pants with combat boots. Jack didn't mind showing quite a lot of skin – and her long legs and slim figure were often stared at in admiration. If anyone did try to put his hands on her, Jack had learned enough form Riddick to defend herself.

Jack headed over to the port's offices, where she ordered everything they needed. She got the timeframe, when she would have to be back at Mortimer Nova to sign some papers; and took off for the small city. Having some time for just herself was wonderful. She walked around, pretending to be the girl she wished to be. Not a care in the galaxy or worry on the mind. Head held high and her stride confident, Jack didn't look like a wanted criminal at all. If she had learned anything at all, it was that the attitude is everything.

She got back a little while later. Jack pushed in the code to open the ramp and took off her big sunglasses. It was time for the darkness again. Jack placed the few things she had bought on her bed and went to the cockpit to ask via radio about the supplies again. The more you annoyed them, the faster they got their job done.

"Finally!" she muttered a few hours later as she could see someone waiting on the ramp. Jack turned down the loud angry music she liked to listen to when Riddick wasn't around. She opened the ramp and took a look at the relatively young man standing there. "Yes?" she asked with what she recognized as _the Riddick's voice_.

"I have two weeks supplies on the name of Will O'Connell, captain of…Mortimer Nova?" the guy finished after looking at the papers he was holding. Then he smiled at her so sweetly, letting his perfect teeth shine in the afternoon sun.

"I'm Page, his co-pilot. I can sign it," Jack told him. He nodded and pointed at the right line to her as she reached for the papers.

"What's your name, pretty face?" Jack asked the man while walking with him to the cargo hold. Asking for a name had become a routine for her whenever she spoke to strange people, because she needed to do their background search later. And they all were strange to her. Jack just found it easier to flatter them a little and get it over with faster and with less hassle.

"Lev Tigner," he told her with yet another wide smile. Seemed like he had already fallen for her. But Jack had to admit that Lev was a sexy man – about 23 years of age, well tanned, hunky and easy-going. "Nice to meet you, Page," he told Jack.

By the time the boxes had been loaded down to the far end of the cargo hold, Lev had already asked her out for a coffee.

"Umm… Thanks for inviting me and all, but I've got to keep an eye on the ship," Jack said regretfully. She would have loved to go for a coffee, but Jack wasn't going to let the only link between her and Riddick – Mortimer Nova – out of her sight. And Riddick would have a fit if he found out what Jack had been doing.

"How about having that coffee on board then?" Lev pushed it further. He liked ´Page a lot and wasn't going to let her go that easily.

"Never gonna happen. Sorry but the pilot doesn't want anyone he doesn't know to get on," Jack explained. She had a feeling it must have sounded really weird to Lev, so she added: "Will is very strict about that."

Lev seemed a little disturbed. "What? Is he like a tyrant or something?" he asked with evident distain.

"Nope, just my brother," Jack came out with a little lie. It would be no good if anyone suspected that something fishy was going on. She had to laugh when she saw how fast Lev lost his high and mighty attitude. Insulting the girl's family is never a way to get into her pants. "But we can sit on the ramp if you want – that way I haven't left the ship and you're not on it," she told him.

"Sure!"

* * *

Riddick was about to turn around the corner to head over to his ship straight ahead. Something in him made him stop in his tracks. Carefully he looked around. No evident danger. His back was pressed to another ship's wheel, hiding Riddick in the shadows. Turning slightly he looked at his ship. And if looks could kill…

"What the fuck are you doing?" Riddick roared. He was standing in front of the two laughing people who were sitting on the open ramp. Riddick was vibrating with fury.

Lev let go of Jack's fingers he had been playing with and stood up as stung by a bee.

Jack looked up at Riddick with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open. "Why are you back here so soon?" she managed to ask weakly.

"I asked - WHAT THE FUCK?" Riddick demanded again. This time quieter. But it sounded even more dangerous. He seemed to be on verge of a major rage outburst.

Lev stepped back a little. "You must be Will. Hi," he stuttered. Then he looked down at Jack and said accusingly: "You didn't say your brother is so...big."

Jack was still in shock. "Lev, you should go. Like – now!" she advised him. Jack had a pretty good idea on what might happen if he doesn't leave right this second. _Definitely not something pretty…_

"Yeah. Later, Page," he told her, already turning to leave. He was wise enough not to look at Riddick again. As Lev was disappearing behind the ships, Riddick grabbed Jack's wrist to pull her inside. She had been so surprised, that she hadn't been able to stand up during the whole…incident. Now he was dragging her forward in a rather painful way. Riddick closed the ramp from inside. His every move spoke volumes of his mood. _Not good…_

Only when the ramp had closed and locked, did he yell: "Explain!"

Jack tried unconsciously to make herself smaller under his fuming glaze. She didn't even know what she had done wrong, so how could she explain anything? "What's there to explain? Lev brought the supplies and we got along."

Riddick wanted to shake her, but kept his hands deep in the pockets of his trousers. "You left the ramp down and talked to a stranger! Are you trying to get the mercs on our necks?" he bellowed.

Jack was so scared of this Riddick. "His name is Lev Tigner," was all she managed to say in her own defense. It seemed better to let Riddick's anger to blow over and give him a chance to cool down.

"That's not enough!" he said. _Or maybe not..._Jack had to correct her previous decision about him calming down.

So Jack sat there on her mattress like a little girl and Riddick's tall frame lingered over her. "We can leave…" Jack tried to offer.

"No, we can't! Merchandise is not here yet. We have to wait till tomorrow with this fucking axe above our heads!"

Jack didn't know what to say. It felt so bad to be such a screw-up, even if she didn't understand why Riddick was making such a huge deal out of her talking to a guy.

Riddick couldn't take this anymore. "Let's go."

"Where are we going?" Jack asked as they left the ship.

"To find a place for the night. If the guy sold us out, then the mercs will come to look for me from Mortimer Nova," Riddick explained. Jack nodded and tried to keep up with him. After many turns and sidetracks to loose the possible tail, they reached a shabby little old motel. Riddick went in, Jack followed.

"A room," Riddick said to the old man behind the desk. He looked like a rotting tomato with glasses, gray hair combed over his bolding head. Jack still felt a little sorry for the man.

"Yes, sir," the man said quickly. Then he looked back and forth between Riddick and Jack as if trying to make up his mind. "Err… Sir? Will that be a single bedchamber or a double room?"

"Single. My girlfriend and I also need dinner," Riddick informed the man without any expression on his face.

Jack could see how the rotten-tomato-man sent her a look full of sympathy, before turning back to Riddick. _What is a pretty little lady doing with a scary man like him?_ Jack could read his mind. "Yes, sir. I'll send it up. Room number 11, sir," he told in a hurry while handing Riddick the key. There was just something about Riddick that made people jumpy. _Wonder why's that…_Jack humored herself.

Without a single unnecessary word, Riddick took the key and turned to the stairs. He could feel the old man looking at them, so he placed his other hand on Jack's lower back. _No need to raise questions._

Jack looked at the room. If the outside looked shabby, then she didn't know how to call this. The bed against right wall was dirty and bumpy, the curtains were ripped, bathroom smelled like a week old corpse and there was no rug in the room. Jack had a very bad feeling about this asscrack of a room.

Riddick had locked her in for now. He had to stroll around a little to make sure everything was safe. He got back 20 minutes later.

"Why did you take a single room?" Jack asked after watching Riddick staring into the empty air for a while. He hadn't paid her any attention since he had entered the room.

"Because you told the guy I was your brother."

Jack understood. She didn't ask any more questions, so they just lay on the bed for few hours as darkness settled over the city. The dinner the old man had brought them, threatened to come back up any time. Jack groaned and wished for the millionth time that she could fall asleep ASAP. Se believed that the tomorrow would come faster that way.

"I'll go take a look at the ship," Riddick told her. "Got your shiv?" he asked as he stood there in the doorway, ready to leave.

"Yeah. One in the boot, the other in the belt pocket," she said quietly. Jack felt guilty and scared. Riddick always managed to make her feel so stupid and small. She was constantly wondering why has he let her tag along for all those years. It's not like she did anything but get them in trouble.

Riddick nodded and left. He kept his eye on the port and on his ship for a long time to see if anything seemed out of place. But there weren't any suspicious people moving around and everything looked to be in order. Sitting on rooftops gave him plenty of time to think about stuff.

Riddick wasn't pleased with himself about how he had handled the situation with Jack and her little boyfriend. He knew that Jack was growing up and wanted to stretch her wings a little. Riddick could honestly understand that, even though he didn't like it not one bit. Something about Jack growing up made him uneasy- Riddick didn't want to admit how he feared that if Jack stretches those wings of hers, then there just might be a day she uses them to fly away from him.

_And why wouldn't she?_ Riddick thought bitterly. _All I do is yelling at her; boss her around like she wouldn't have a mind of her own and keep her away from the things she likes. Like the singing for an example. Hell – she has loads of credits; yet she seems to want to stay on my lousy ship! But for how long anyway? _Riddick gritted his teeth in realization that Jack was doing him a favor by staying. Jack gave Riddick a purpose, made him think twice before making something really foolish and all in all made him see the other side of living, the beautiful part of life that he had grown so distant to with the Slam-years. Riddick just wished Jack would know about this all somehow and quit putting herself down like she did.

Finally he returned to the motel room. Jack was stretched diagonally across the bed, sleeping. Looked as if she hadn't dared to take off her clothes. Might be because she wanted to be ready to escape as soon as needed; maybe because of the undistinguishable ugly dirty spots on the bed itself; maybe because she knew Riddick would come and join her later. The last option was not very likely, because Riddick had held her often enough when she had the nightmares; and on Mortimer Nova she usually wore only underwear as her sleeping garments. No big deal.

Riddick took his boots off and shifted Jack's limp body a little to make some room for himself. As soon as his head rested on the pillow, Jack crawled closer to him. It didn't startle Riddick. He just put an arm around her shoulders and held her tight. Riddick could feel goosebumps all over her bare arm. _She is cold and you're just a warm body,_ Riddick smiled. He pulled her closer and the both of them sighed with gratification.

_That's how it should always be…

* * *

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	3. Chapter 3

It was still dark outside when Riddick shook Jack's shoulder. "Get a move on it, kid," he ordered casually. Jack sat up a moment later. Riddick had trained her to wake immediately, without any grogginess or stiffness.

After circling the city again, they neared the port. Riddick told her that his employer was going to bring his cargo over in an hour. Riddick didn't want to take any chances, so he told Jack to stay put. Then he lurked away, being only a shadow.

And Jack obeyed. After the yesterday's events she didn't dare to mess up again. Half an hour later she heard the ugliest sound possible – someone shouting: "Die!" Although Jack's instinct told her to go and help Riddick in case he couldn't handle it alone, she didn't act on it. Riddick can take care of everything as long as he doesn't have to protect her too from the immediate danger.

Minutes passed. Jack could hear only her rapid heartbeats and the sound of blood flowing in her ears. It's the darkest right before the dawn, so she couldn't see a thing. The silence was getting on her nerves. _Did they kill Riddick?_ she asked from herself. Suddenly, someone's hands grabbed her shoulders from behind. Jack couldn't waste time to look back; she had to get free first. She struggled to turn. Shiv in her hand was ready to slice whoever it was. Jack got up and turned.

It wasn't Riddick, that's for sure. There were two men looking at her with pure disdain, both holding knives. The younger of the two jumped forward to push her down. Jack turned left and the guy lost his balance for a fraction of a second. Next thing he knew, Jack kicked up her leg and hit his face with the heavy combat boot. The man cried out of pain as his cheekbone broke. _Very painful._ Without a second thought Jack threw her shiv right into his sleep artery. He fell to the pavement. _One down, one to go. _

The older man hadn't been fast enough to attack her while Jack was busy killing his friend. Now he let out an angry growl and launched forward. Jack had learned it was always better to fight in silence. Even you're every breath is a signal for your enemy about what you're going to do next, not to mention yelling! Now she was ready to fight his attack.

Jack had used the shiv she usually kept on her belt pocket. She knew the other is still in her boot, but there was no time to take it out. She didn't have a weapon. The older man raised his knife and it was only inches apart from Jack's chest. She held his hand away using only the little strength she had. Jack knew she couldn't hold him back for much longer. So she gritted her teeth and lifted her knee with all she had left. Jack's knee connected with the man's groin and he howled with pain. Jack could see in dark how his eyes rolled back and the man dropped his knife. _Serves you right, mister dickhead extraordinaire._ Jack didn't hesitate to throw another punch in his face to win some time. She snatched the guy's own knife and with final dose of adrenaline, she stabbed him in his eye. The blade was long and, as it found its way to the man's brain, also deadly.

Jack kept her fighting position. There might be others who want a piece of her. But all she heard was silence. Jack removed her from the younger man's throat. It was so bloody that felt slippery in her hands. She hid it to her belt, took out another shiv from the heel of her boot and armed herself with the first man's knife. Sufficiently well equipped, Jack headed to Mortimer Nova.

Jack didn't feel the least bit bad for using dirty moves in her combat style. Riddick had taught her a lot. One of those things was to know her weaknesses. So what if she didn't have the physical strength of men? She was fast and could use her head too. Jack used the opponent's weaknesses against them. For an example, if the guy had balls then he naturally deserved to be kicked there. Simple!

Jack hid herself behind the neighboring ship much like Riddick had hid himself when she was talking to Lev. Their ship was dark and there weren't any signs of people moving around. Jack was worried for Riddick. Why hadn't he come back to tell her the danger has passed or that they had to leave M Kappa little earlier that planned and without the intended cargo? _Could it be that something really did happen to him? _

And just as she was thinking about that, Riddick appeared by her side. He was crouching like Jack. They had long ago become skilled at using various hand signals. Now she signed him that she had taken down two men. Riddick nodded to say he understood and then signed for her to wait there until he gets the cargo on board. Jack thought about whether Riddick's so called employer had shown up in the middle of the fight; and if that was true then why it had taken so long for him to come back to her. Mortimer Nova's lights lit up, so she was able to see Riddick opening the doors to the cargo hold. He moved fast and carried some, but dragged most of the huge boxes inside. Then, when he was done, Riddick motioned for Jack to come in.

Jack helped him to lock the doors and both of them ran to the cockpit. Jack strapped herself in and nervously looked at the monitors to see if there was still anyone out there. No, the air was clear. Riddick kept the radio connection with the Tower until they had clearance for take off. Neither of them spoke about what had gone wrong. Finally they were in open space and Riddick inserted the codes for the star jump.

After they had jumped and the artificial gravity kicked in again, Jack unstrapped herself. Riddick was hassling with all the switches, lights and buttons on the console. "Are you ok?" Jack asked.

"Yes. You?"

Jack had to look at herself. She had some blood on her tank top and bare legs, but none of it was her own. "Yes."

Jack waited a little while longer before opening her mouth again. "What was that attack about?"

Riddick didn't look at her, but his voice was thick with anger. "Fucker tried to pull a fast one on me. It went down bloody and I took over the cargo."

"Then what's in the boxes?" she asked puzzled. There was no point to ask how or why Riddick had been tricked. Jack knew that Riddick always had his reasons and she trusted his choices.

"Who knows," he answered, still mainly concentrating on double-crossing whoever might want to follow them.

Jack didn't need to push it further. She went down to the cargo hold to take a look for herself. She flicked on the lights because Riddick wasn't nearby and she didn't want to fall on her ass on the stairs. The cargo hold wasn't nearly full. In the back there were their own boxes with various supplies, safely secured with the net. Near the doors were the many boxes that Riddick had recently ´gained. Jack went forward to have a closer look.

She opened the first box. Then she rushed over and took a look in every single one of them. _Guns, a fucking lot of guns. This shipment must be very valuable. And we stole them… Holy shit, they're gonna hunt us down!_

"Riddick!" Jack shouted. She ran up to him in a hurry. "Riddick! Guns, all guns!" she told him out of breath.

Riddick frowned. "Figures. I was supposed to take them to a war-zone." He looked up at Jack who was standing near his pilot's seat. "We'll sell them back to them."

This complicated situation made Jack nervous as a poodle in a lion's cage. They had always lived on edge, but this was playing with fire. She was up and fidgeting the whole day, unable to sit still or think of anything but the upcoming battle. And she was sure there would be a huge battle. Because if you steel something valuable from a powerful party X, and then think you're really clever and wanna sell it back to X – _who wouldn't want to kill Riddick?_

He knew what Jack was going through. Riddick tried to be understanding and all that shit, but could she just fucking stop? "Jack! Go to the dojo and take it out on the punching bag!" he barked from the cockpit to where Jack was in the main room.

"No!" she yelled back just because.

To prove him she is not to be ordered around like a kid, she headed back to the cargo. She took out a range of weapons. Riddick had made her to master any arsenal, but suggested to use shivs or other blades. Loud sound of guns gives away your position. Also you might run out of ammo; then what you'll do?

Now she looked at them and tried them out. Jack found the guns cool and handy. The idea of being face to face with a bulky guy wanting only to kill her wasn't that pleasing. It had happened many times in her young life already, but she still didn't find the thrill of the fight worth it all. She wasn't like Riddick in that way. Jack thought it would be a hell of a lot more fun to kill her enemies from a distance. Then again, how would she be able to hide a gun that big when she was out on the city and needed the protection the most?

Just for the heck of it, she loaded the one she liked the most. Not that the other models sucked, but this one was her front-runner. It was matt silver and small enough to carry under a jacket or to hang on her belt. Since it wasn't that big and could fit only ten bullets the gun was rather light. Jack couldn't understand how it could be used in a war. It was old, without energy-blazes; it wasn't automatic and needed to be recharged after the first minute. _Surely they wouldn't miss it there…_

The gun in hand, she went to talk to Riddick again. He was still piloting. Seemed like the man had more discipline than Jack would have thought is humanly possible. Wouldn't he want to stretch or something?

"Umm…Riddick?" Jack asked hesitatingly to draw his attention. Riddick didn't say anything, but the way he turned his head only a little bit, showed Jack that he was listening. "I found one really nice gun. And I was wondering if I could keep it," she said much more self-aware.

Riddick looked at her now. He rose from his seat and came closer. "Show it." She did. Riddick quickly examine it and then he asked still keeping the gun: "It's not powerful or useful. Why do you want it?"

Jack looked up at him, but she couldn't come up with any reason she would expect Riddick to agree with. "It's beautiful," she finally said casually and shrugged. But she was fully aware what Riddick will think about this one.

She had been right. Her answer earned a gruff from Riddick as well as a look saying: _well aren't you a pathetic silly thing._ Riddick said: "In a fight, your opponent might take this from you and use it against you."

"Yeah, but so can happen with shiv!" she enlightened him.

"True, but to use shivs correctly, you have to be skilled. Even a baby can shoot a gun."

Jack knew Riddick was right. Guns weren't useful. She didn't need to have a gun. "But I want it," she finally said in a very begging-like way. Jack immediately hated herself for that. Riddick might treat her like she's a child, but it didn't mean she should act like one!

There was one more gruff from Riddick and then, out of the blue, he almost threw the silvery gun back to Jack's arms. "Keep it, but don't take it out from the ship."

Jack had to give it a little smile. She was happy, in spite of the fact that she could never use it. Even though she didn't like to ask for anything from anyone, she also knew that Riddick had no reason to let her keep the gun just because it's beautiful. Riddick wasn't able to see colors or anything very sharply for the matter. Riddick didn't know what beauty was. And a gun on board can be a real…killer! This all made Riddick's consent hundred times dearer.

"Done!" she told to Riddick's retreating back to let him know she agreed to the terms. Most likely Riddick had never had a doubt that she would not do as he asks. But… _At least I'm not going to thank him,_ Jack thought dryly.

Jack hid the gun on top of her bags and grabbed a new set of clothes. Another pair of shorts, these suitable for workout, and a wifebeater in hand, Jack went to the bathroom to change. She dropped her dirty ones to the washer and stepped out towards the dojo. It wasn't a big room, but a comfortable one. "Lights on, 90 percent!" she ordered. Then she put on some electronical music. Not very loud, but enough to feel the beat.

After the warm-up and wrapping her fists, she turned to the punchbag. Somehow it always purified her to take it out on a helpless piece of leather and whatever the bag was filled with. She worked herself up, muttered curses to the bag and dreamed she could do it all to some man instead. Hand combat wasn't her best trait, so she preferred her shiv to help her out. For her killing someone with the shiv lacked the power and style. Then again – which do you choose – style or your life? _Hmm, that's a hard one…_

She was covered with sweat by the time she moved on to practicing martial arts. She had a lot of grace, speed and accuracy, so it looked as if she was dancing. After some time she took her shiv and combined using it with everything else she knew. If poets had seen her then, they would have called her the beautiful death. She felt the heart beating too fast, so she figured it was time for the final part of her regular workout.

But before she could start the stretching, Riddick opened the door. His goggles were on. He knew that she always had lights on when she was alone. But he wasn't going to kill the lights either; he wanted to give her a little head start for what he had in mind.

"How about sparring?" he asked. They did that often. Sparring with Riddick served three goals. One – she could see what parts of her fighting skills needed to be worked on a little harder. Two – it gave Jack an actual fighting experience. It's nice and all to know the moves, but if you don't know how to use them in real life, they're worth jack. Three – it gave Riddick an opportunity to see how much Jack had developed and whether she has what it takes to survive.

"Sure," she said. Then she grinned and added: "But you better watch out, old man. I've warmed up and I feel my arms and legs are light today," she joked. As if she could ever beat Riddick. She had tried to do it since the first sparring, but never succeeded. But Jack wasn't a quitter. _This might be your lucky day, girl,_ she mused to herself. And then she suddenly remembered what he had called Riddick – an old man – and had to smile even wider. _Old man, my ass._

Riddick took off his combat boots and stepped in the dojo. He didn't comment her warning, just came closer. They started circling, knees bent and arms raised. Jack knew first hand that it would not be a good idea to attack first. If Riddick tries to get a punch in, she could block it and see if she has an opportunity to attack him. If Jack's lucky, he forgets some place open.

He tested her patience by not going for it. He looked right in her eyes, both to see what would be her next move and also to intimidate her. Jack thought that if anyone can handle looking into Riddick's eyes for over a minute, then nothing in the galaxy can scare that person again.

Riddick moved fast. His left foot rose to kick Jack off her feet. She stepped to the side a little and avoided loosing her balance. Right away Riddick's fist flew to her face, but she managed to block it with her right hand. It was time to make her own move. Jack jumped a little closer and tried to land a punch on his neck. Riddick grabbed it and used his hold on her wrist to pull her body closer to throw in another punch. It was almost too late what Jack tried to block his hand. She only managed to push it a little away from her chest and to slower it down. Riddick's fist landed on her left shoulder. It didn't hurt Jack that much because Riddick hadn't used full force in the first place. That was their agreement since the very beginning of training together – Jack won't aim his private parts and he won't hit too hard.

Using their closeness in her advantage, she threw foot in the air to hit the side of Riddick's head. He ducked, but for doing so he had to let go of her wrist. Jack's right arm was free again. Riddick raised his left hand to again as if to punch her from that direction. Jack concentrated on blocking it. Suddenly, Riddick's right foot landed on her side, throwing Jack to the ground. Before she could push herself up, Riddick's knee was on her back holding her down. Jack's left arm was bent up on her back in Riddick's death grip. One more push and her arm would brake or dislocate her shoulder. Jack kept still.

Riddick didn't let her go just yet. "Never look at their hands. Eyes tell you everything you need to know. You know, Jack, the head is in the middle, so you can see the rest of their body at least from the corner of your eye," he said. The final part about the head angered Jack quite a bit. _Witty Riddick can kiss my ass!_ Jack thought.

Riddick released her and they both got up. Jack was frowning, but Riddick's face was again unreadable. "Yeah, well, you had goggles on!" she tried to reason him and maybe get some of her pride back.

"Sore looser," he only said. Jack turned around again to give him a piece of her mind. But she couldn't get a word out – because there was a small smile on his lips.


	4. Chapter 4

**WARNING:** This chapter contains rape-themes. So if this bothers you, then skip the part when things get…freaky and read only the first half of the chap and last few paragraphs. For all the others – this chapter is rather good in my opinion. Intense.

* * *

After the sparring when Jack had cleaned up, she went to the kitchen to make herself dinner. It usually just ´happened that she ´accidentally made enough food for two. She would leave it out and find in the morning that it was gone. _A real fucking mystery indeed._ Riddick was still in the dojo having his own workout. Jack made steak. If she is going to cook for him anyway, she just as well may make something he likes too. A man like Riddick definitely needed meat.

She was taking a plate for herself when she heard Riddick leaving the dojo to go to the bathroom. It shouldn't take long till he comes to share the dinner. Jack sighed and took out another plate. They need to talk anyway, so why not do it during the dinner.

Jack filled her own plate with potatoes, some salad, steak and souse. They had a pretty good kitchen and all the stuff it needed to cook a proper meal. So she had learned to cook, although Jack didn't exactly like it. With a glass of water in hand, she sat down. Riddick walked in, most likely following his nose to the delicious smells. "Serve yourself," she told him plainly and dug in.

He did so and sat down. Riddick never thanked her or said if he liked what she had made. Jack figured that he might see being polite and friendly as a weakness or an unbearable burden. _Pff, macho men,_ she thought and wrinkled her nose.

"Riddick, how do you plan to sell those guns?" Jack asked.

"I'll go to the guy's enemy and see what he has to offer," he told her in-between bites.

"Isn't it too dangerous?"

"Maybe. I'll handle it," he said with just enough confidence.

"When will we go to them?" she asked again. Sometimes Jack found it really annoying that she had to ask for all that stuff any other normal person would tell her in a stride. That ´sometime was right about then.

"Not ´we, I'll go to them. But we'll land in three days. Gives them some time to think."

Jack had to agree with that. Three days is enough to get the rumors spreading, but not enough to get them ready to kill them. Silence too over. Both just ate and kept their eyes down on the food. Jack finished eating first since she had started a little earlier and ate a whole lot less than Riddick did.

"My birthday is in four days. Wouldn't want to die before that," she told him cynically. He didn't answer, didn't even nod or give any other sign that he had heard.

Jack had a clever idea. Being a runaway had taught her to turn every mishap for her favor. She said "Seeing as this deal is so dangerous, I think I deserve a little bit more credits for all the pay you'll get from the guns." Her voice was so innocent, she could have fooled anyone. Jack sounded like a girl begging for an allowance-rise from her father. That was pretty similar to her situation with Riddick.

"Why do you need more credits?" he asked worriedly. He already gave her some every now and then, so she could buy clothes etc.

"Because --- I need stuff! Like a better recorder and new pair of boots couldn't hurt either," she told Riddick.

"Fine," he replied without thinking about it for a longer time. If he was honest with himself, Riddick had to admit that Jack didn't get all that much credits out of him. Most of her expenses were covered by the ship's account. Like food and other good old solid everyday things. And her shivs were made by Riddick. So it would be a good idea to give her a little bonus. _If we'll be alive to even see those credits,_ Riddick thought.

Jack smiled with victory and went to clean the dishes. Thinking that if Riddick was in a generous mood, she should take advantage of it, she opened her mouth again: "I'm going to be 18. That means I'll officially be a grown-up."

Riddick took a sip of water before he said anything. "You don't have a birth certificate. Officially you don't exist. "

Jack frowned but it didn't stop her from struggling forward with their conversation to get to the main point. "Still, I'll be a grown-up. And that gave me a brilliant idea. I -" she was saying, but Riddick cut her off.

"I know what you're plotting. The answer is NO!" he told her with a voice that wouldn't like any objections.

Jack tried anyway. "But you haven't even heard what I was going to say!"

Riddick glared at her. And as he spoke, his low voice hid a serious warning. "You were going to say that you want to celebrate it in a bar, get wasted and high, fuck someone and that I should allow it because you're a grown-up now."

Jack was stricken by surprise. _Yeah!_ she thought wildly. Giving it a final chance, she said: "But I could settle with just the bar-part too!"

"NO!" Riddick roared and left the kitchen.

Jack couldn't understand why he had to get so worked up over such a little thing. What would it do if she had a night off? It's not like she has any particular requirements for the planet the bar is at; or for the bar itself for the matter. What harm would it do, if she could see life again over the five years and have some fun!

Jack plopped down on her mattress and took out her notebook. It was filled with lyrics. She started to write. Once it was finished, Jack re-read it to see if she needed to change anything. No, it was perfect. Warily, Jack looked to where Riddick was on his own bed sharpening his blades. He didn't seem to be in a mood to hear what this song was about. So Jack took her guitar and went down to the cargo hold.

Jack sat down on the floor, the notebook open in front of her. Slow and painful melody echoed back from the walls. Jack started with the chorus.

_Trapped in the golden cage_

_Always being the same_

_Drives a girls crazy_

_Want some fun maybe_

She tried to keep her voice down. Riddick might find the statement of this song insulting and irritating. Jack had won two unexpected battles today – being allowed to keep the gun and getting some extra credits. She didn't want to give him a reason to take them back.

_Trapped in the golden cage_

_Where no-one ever age_

_Rushing through the stars_

_Facing many wars_

_Little girls was dying sad_

_Wanting things she never had_

Riddick heard all right. His enhanced senses could easily pick up a singing voice and the guitar-play from the other end of the ship. He put his blades aside and listened to her sad voice.

_Trapped in the golden cage_

_Filled with righteous rage_

_Little girl stoop up_

_Never gonna shut up_

_Many battles left behind_

_One ahead will be divine_

Riddick didn't get irritated. He simply wondered why Jack had bothered to go away if she wanted to sing a song. Did she really think he couldn't hear?

_Trapped in the golden cage_

_Where her soul fades_

_She now fights for right_

_To step into the light_

_She will age like everyone_

_For a chance to be someone_

Jack sang the chorus twice to end it properly. When she was done, she didn't feel like getting up. She knew it was around the time she usually went to bed, but… Jack was so tired of being unhappy! Riddick was her golden cage! She didn't want to escape it, but to change some rules a bit. What will it take to make him see, who Jack really is?

Riddick's steps on the stairs leading to the cargo hold woke her from her thoughts. She got up and eyed him carefully as he walked closer to stand next to her. Riddick didn't quite know what he wanted to say to her. The only thing he could grasp was that Jack was miserable and looking up at him with fear. He could smell it all around her.

"Are you upset about the bar thing?" he finally asked. Riddick knew that asking questions can be a tricky thing. You just might even get the answers.

Jack didn't know if it would be wiser to admit it or deny it. "Maybe."

"You are or you aren't. Yes or no, Jack," he told her.

"Yes," she said. If for once Riddick was in a talkative mood and took any interest in her, then Jack should at least give the man a chance.

Riddick nodded. "Why?" he asked. Riddick couldn't understand what was so important about going to a bar. _A bar is just a bar, nothing special._

"Did you hear the song?" she asked in return. Truthfully, she already knew he had. _Why else had he bothered to come down here anyway? _"I want to have some fun," she told him quietly.

"Fun? Going to a bar is fucking dangerous!" he yelled at her.

Jack yelled back. "But I NEED it! Bullshit, Riddick, it's just as dangerous when you go to the whorehouses!"

Both of them were angry now to say the least. Riddick was intimidating, but Jack wasn't going to back down now.

"At least I know how to take care of it!" he said.

"I can too! Jesus – all I wanna do is meet some people, let my fucking hair down and live a little!"

Riddick took a step closer before lowering his voice just a little. He asked: "So this is all about fucking? You wanna fuck, Jack? You wanna fuck so badly?" The glint in his eyes spoke volumes of his mood. He wasn't in control of his anger anymore.

A second later he had pushed Jack up against the wall and pressed his body to hers. Immediately his lips brutally crushed hers in what could be called a kiss. His hands gripped her body everywhere – breasts, shoulders, stomach, back, butt… He ended his kiss only for a moment. He hissed: "Wanna fuck? Fuck ME then!"

Jack tried to push him away, she really did. But she was no match to a man his size and strength. As his tongue did its damaging work in her mouth, Jack tried to turn her head away. But Riddick only brought one hand up to capture the back of her head; and continued.

With only one swift yank, Riddick had torn open her shirt and broken her bra. He had a free way to do as he pleased. Still kissing her, he moved his other hand down to her shorts and slipped his hand inside to touch her there. All this time he rubbed his body against hers and kept kissing her.

Jack wanted to scream, but who would hear her? Who would help her? This was something she had wanted to happen – but never like this! Now the person she loved the most was making her feel vulnerable, so unworthy of being called a human being! Jack tried to use her knee to kick Riddick away, but he had pinned her between the wall and himself in a way that didn't allow her to move at all.

Riddick's hand was in her panties, his finger in her. As if he wanted to make Jack enjoy being raped. Jack could feel the pressure on her hip, he was erect. She feared what she knew would happen next. The tears sprung from her eyes and she tried to shout for Riddick to stop this revenge or punishment of his, whatever this was.

But he didn't stop. Riddick only brought his hand up to push down her shorts and underwear. Jack tried to struggle to make it impossible, but Riddick just needed to use a little more muscle to fulfill his wish. Last hope Jack had had, was gone when she felt that her shorts were at her knees and Riddick used his foot to pull them down completely.

His mouth moved away from her bruised lips to bite a trail down her neck and breasts. Jack used the given opportunity to beg him to stop. "No! NO! Riddick! Please let me go! No, I don't want this!" she cried. But it seemed as if Riddick had lost his hearing. He wouldn't listen to her plea.

Still leaving bite marks on her chest; he opened his belt buckle, unbuttoned his cargo pants and pulled the zipper down. Jack heard it all and every passing moment made her fear grow. Riddick was breathing in her ear as he pushed his pants down a little. Jack could feel his tumid cock on her bare skin. _It must be a matter of seconds now,_ Jack thought. She couldn't see anything anymore – her tears were running down her cheeks and clouded her vision.

And as abruptly as the invasion had started, it ended. One moment Riddick was pulling down his pants and pushing her legs apart with his knee to get some moving area when he would ram in her. And the other he was in the middle of the cargo hold. Jack could see that he had pulled his cargos on, but left the belt open. Jack could see him watching her without blinking as she quickly pulled up her underwear and shorts. There was nothing to be done about the ripped bra or shirt. So she just folded her arms to hide her nudity.

He still wasn't saying anything. Jack's silent tears kept falling even though she tried to stop them. Without giving Riddick another chance to attack her, Jack run up the stairs faster than she had ever even thought she could run. She slammed the door shut behind her, and continued her run towards the bathroom. Jack got in without Riddick fallowing her and locked the door. It wasn't strong enough to hold Riddick out if he wanted to get in, but Jack locked it anyway.

She didn't know for how long she had been crying there, sitting in the far corner from the door. Finally she ran out of tears. Jack shakily got up and went to take the shower. She left her clothes on in dread of Riddick running in while she's trying to wash off all this touches, all of his kisses and words. _All of him…_

After a while the shower ran out of hot water, but Jack kept scrubbing herself with soap inside out under the cold fall. She just couldn't get clean enough. The tears came back again and they mixed with water.

Finally, when Jack was blue form the cold, she stepped out of the tube. She had nothing to dry herself with, so she simply sat back to the corner. Jack pulled her knees to her chest and wined her arms around them. Then she prayed to every single god she knew, to let it all be just a bad, bad dream.

There was a knock on the door. Jack held herself tighter and tries to make herself even smaller, if not invisible. She wanted to disappear. But Riddick didn't want to come in if Jack wasn't going to let him.

"Jack, I am really sorry. I don't know what came over me. I can't believe what I did to you! I am really, really sorry! Can you please forgive me?" Riddick asked from behind the bathroom door. His tone of voice was so soft and honest, as if he really would have meant what he said.

Jack didn't answer. How could she forgive being almost raped?

Riddick waited for a while. Apparently he gave up and said: "I put new clothes just outside the door. I move your bed to the dojo, you can sleep there. I will be in the cockpit, door closed, by the time you come out. If you want to talk about it, then just come in… **I** would want to talk to you." Again, his voice sounded so pleading, so sincere. But how could he even expect to be forgiven after what he did to Jack?


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Thank you all who read and reviewed the last chapter! I was kind of afraid that I might have gone too far… So, thanks again!

* * *

Jack remained sitting in the bathroom. She could hear how Riddick walked away and how the door to the cockpit was closed a little louder than necessary. Usually Riddick made no noise, so slamming the door was odd. Most likely he did it to let Jack know that he kept his word. _Then again – maybe it's a trick and he is now waiting right outside for me to come out?_ Jack thought. 

Finally, after finding all the courage left in this situation, she crawled to the door and opened it. She tried to be as quiet as possible when opening the lock and pushing the door open only a little bit. The pile of clothes was right there as Riddick had promised. Jack pulled them in in a hurry and locked the bathroom door again.

On top of the clothes was her towel. She grabbed it and hurriedly dried herself. Jack hesitated to take off her clothes, but did so anyway to dry herself completely. She wrapped her hair in the towel as it was damp too. She didn't want to look at her body. Jack felt like it belonged to someone else, someone weak and bad. But she couldn't help to notice that Riddick's teeth had left few small bruises on her breasts and little bigger ones were on her arms and hips. Jack wanted to cry again.

Riddick had chosen her new underwear, socks, jeans, a t-shirt and a sport's jacket. He must have known that Jack was freezing, since usually she didn't dress so warm on the relatively hot ship. Jack pulled on all the clothes and felt a lot better. Partly because she started to warm up, partly for being so completely covered.

Jack had to think about what she was going to do next. Definitely not going to the cockpit. Having a chat with Riddick was so not the option. Jack wondered whether she should stay put or make a run for the dojo. Riddick hadn't been in the main room, so he couldn't see and therefore attack Jack when there wasn't a door between them. And the bathroom wasn't the best idea, where to stay at. At some point Riddick must use the toilet too and that would mean she had to move at some point anyway. _No way would I want to be around, when he takes his dick out again, _Jack thought.

Her mind made UP, Jack went to open the door again. Quickly, she examined the main room. Riddick wasn't there. Her mattress was indeed gone. In the speed of light Jack run to her duffel bags. On top of one was her gun, right where she had left it. Jack grabbed it and ran the gun in hand and her finger on the trigger, to the dojo. She got in and closed the door as a heavy breath of relief filled the otherwise quiet room.

Jack's bed was placed to the opposite wall from the door. Jack had to wonder with astonishment, how come Riddick had suddenly found such understanding and compassion to put her mattress as far from the door as possible. _Maybe he has done this before, _Jack thought dryly. _That psycho fuck!_

But she got over it immediately and started to work. Since dojo's door didn't have a lock on it, Jack had to barricade it. Inch by inch she managed to haul a heavy cupboard with the digital music-centre built in it, in front of the door. That done, Jack stepped to the bed and sat. Fiddling with the gun, she couldn't help to think about what had really happened.

In just one day, Jack had already killed two men, barely managed to escape a planet M Kappa, gotten herself a gun, had two huge arguments with Riddick, one of them ending with her being almost raped. _Talk about keeping yourself busy!_ she commented bitterly. All but the rape was nothing new to Jack. _But the almost-rape…_ Jack tried to relive all the both of them had said or done to see where she had gone wrong. How had she deserved it…

But nothing made sense anymore. Jack's head hurt and her body ached from where Riddick had grabbed her too strong. Every now and then a tear would find its way down her cheek, but she didn't want to cry no more. Jack didn't want to cry because she refused to be the victim. _If my 14 years before Riddick couldn't break me, than one day with him won't either,_ she decided.

Riddick sat in the cockpit. Usually it was something he liked to do, something he felt comfortable with. Now, he seemed to have this unfamiliar feeling within him. Just under the skin and he couldn't make it disappear. Riddick's head was lowered to his chest, hands folded. Riddick had mastered the skill to hide his emotions to the point he didn't feel anymore. Feelings were a distraction and he didn't need them. He was so good at controlling his heart and mind, yet now he was crushed by them. Riddick didn't know how to make things ok again. Part of him wanted to go and shake Jack to make her see how truly sorry he was for hurting her. But at the same time he knew it wasn't the solution he needed. He was responsible for screwing things up and hated himself for that.

Riddick didn't sleep at all this night. All the thoughts wouldn't let him relax. He figured it must be the same with Jack. He got up to go talk to her again. During the night, he had listened how Jack beat the crap out of the bunch bag. He had tried to talk to her then, but she replied only with silence. Riddick wasn't going to let this go without a fight. Riddick wanted the old Jack back.

He knocked on the dojo's door. There was no answer. He hadn't expected one anyway. "Jack?" he asked quietly. His sharpened senses picked up the sound of Jack standing up from her bed. "Jack, it's morning. Could you come out? Please?"

Jack listened. Last night's pain had turned to anger by now. Jack kept it at bay. She didn't need to repeat the night's events to remember how superior Riddick was compared to her.

"Riddick waited. "Are you hungry? We could have breakfast together," Riddick offered. He would have given everything for an opportunity to see Jack again and tell her face to face how sorry he was. That Jack doesn't need to be afraid of him. Riddick knew how she felt. The ship was thick with the intense smell of fear.

There was still no response. "Or I could bring you a breakfast here," he said softly.

Jack didn't agree or disagree. There was only the silence. Riddick sighed loudly and went to prepare the food.

Jack paced around the dojo. She had so many things she wanted to tell him. Jack wanted to hurt Riddick just as much he had hurt her. _But how do I do it? What would hurt him? _

Riddick was chopping sausages for the omelet, when he heard the dojo's door opening. He abruptly stopped what he was doing, to hear where Jack was going. She was coming to him. Just as Jack stepped into the kitchen, Riddick turned to look at her.

"Put the knife down," Jack asked without fear or anger. Riddick did so, but kept looking at her. Jack's face was still a little swollen and eyes red from crying and from lack of sleep. She had her gun in hand, pointed down, but the safety was off, Riddick noticed. He didn't blame her.

Jack didn't sit and Riddick thought better than to go too close to her. She might find it threatening and either blow his balls of or hide in the dojo again. Riddick didn't like either of the options.

He started: "Jack, listen. I am so sorry for what I did to you."

Jack listened, but her face was unreadable. She had made up her mind. "Don't bother, Riddick. I don't care anymore."

For a moment Riddick didn't understand if this ´I don't care meant that his been forgiven or that Jack didn't give a damn about what he had to say. To be sure, he asked: "Am I forgiven?"

Jack laughed hoarsely. "Forgiven? I can never forgive and forget, Riddick!" she told him, disdain dripping from her voice. Before Riddick could say anything else, she added: "I'm gonna go away as soon as we land. I never want to see you again."

Riddick could see the determination in her stance. A new pang of pain made him look at the floor. "Please, don't. Jack, we can work this all out. I'll never come close to you again!" he tried one more time. He just had to win his Jack back. Somehow.

Jack shook her head. "No, no we can't."

Riddick never thought he could come to this. That he would plea and beg! That he could get so hurt. Now, he was willing to do whatever it takes to turn things around. "We can, Jack! It will be worth it. I'll be good to you! We can go to bars all you want; and I'll buy you everything you want! – clothes, recorder, anything at all!" he asked again.

Jack watched him. Riddick looked and sounded sorry; she had to give him that. But it was too late. "Once I would have been happy to hear you say this. Now it only hurts me more," she told him without any signs of emotion. "I'm going to go away. There's nothing I need from you."

Riddick watched as she turned to go. Just before she left the kitchen, Jack told him over her shoulder: "I repeat myself, Riddick – I never want to see you again. Because I hate you."

And with that, she was gone. Riddick had a suspicion that he was on verge of tears, making his vision fuzzy. In surrender he sat to one barstool and hid his head to his palms. Riddick's world just shattered to pieces.

* * *

The two next days passed in silence. Whenever Jack came out of the dojo (always with her new best friend, the silver gun) and Riddick was there to talk to her, she only raised her open palm in his direction. As if saying ´talk to the hand, because the face ain't listening. Riddick gave up and let her be in peace. 

The minutes dragged on and on, hours felt like years. Both of them didn't know what to do, both of them were unhappy. Riddick would sit in the cockpit and dully stare at the stars. Jack would sit in the dojo and look at the wall with blind eyes.

Finally the morning came, when they would land. Jack had already gotten her things ready. Bags packed, guitar brought back up from the cargo hold, her bed dragged back to the main room and made up, bathroom cleaned. Now all the stuff waited by the ramp. Every time Riddick passed them, he had to look away. It hurt too damn much to think about the inevitable.

"Strap in," Riddick called out. Jack came and did as asked. She felt weird being so close to him in the co-pilot's seat, but there was no way to avoid this. So she sat and kept her eyes focused on the window straight ahead.

But Riddick didn't start the landing just yet. He didn't look at Jack as he said: "Padja is a planet in war. It's dangerous. After this deal I could drop you off to some better place, where you can have a decent life. If you still want to go."

"No, I can take care of myself. I'm a big rock star, remember?"

Riddick wanted to talk her out of this. But as he looked at her, he saw there was no point in trying.

Sighing, he started to land.

* * *

Jack stood up from her co-pilot's seat and went to open the ramp. She didn't want to say anything to Riddick. Who would want to say a polite goodbye to a man who has broken her heart and thrown her life apart? 

She lifted her guitar to her back and took a bag in each hand. The ramp was open now and Jack could see the Tower from where she was. _My new life is waiting_, she told to herself sadly.

Riddick stood behind her. "At least let me give you credits, so you could have a good start," he told her desperately.

Jack didn't turn around. It would hurt much more, knowing it will be the last time she sees him. "No, I don't want anything." With that she stepped out into the sun. Jack took a heavy breath. A breath of freedom and yet – defeat. The air had never tasted so bitter.

Jack finally found a motel good enough and got a room. There were bombed buildings everywhere in the city. She thought for a second if turning down Riddick's offer to take her to some other planet, had been her brightest idea. But her pride wouldn't let her go back, even if she wanted to. And what Jack wanted the most, was to stay away from Riddick; she could never live with him again.

It was almost nightfall when Jack suddenly remembered, that she had left her iron chest with her diary and notebook with lyrics, to Riddick's ship. She was shocked. _How could I forget that? Riddick would most likely dump my shit to space, where the chest will no doubt collide with some meteor and explode._ With that, her every chance to prove that she indeed was Jack LaRock, would be lost!

Although Jack had many doubts about her sanity as she raced back to the port, she ran non-stop through the city to get to Mortimer Nova ASAP. Jack hoped that Riddick would still be there or if not, that he hadn't changed the ship's codes. It was dark by the time she reached her destination. She was out of breath as well as covered in sweat.

Riddick was in the city on a ´business meeting. The man, who he was talking to, Mr. Cohen Pillar, was in the middle of filling Riddick in on the reasons for the war. "… so therefore M Kappa is responsible for killing half of our people! We want justice! The galaxy has to hear, what my people have gone through! They have to pay, but the Empire's Government won't even hear us! As a result – we had to take matters in out own hands," he finally ended his passionate, but for Riddick's taste unbelievably long and boring monologue.

"That's nice. So, How much do you offer for the guns?" Riddick asked neutrally. He didn't give a flying fuck for the man's reasons. Riddick preferred to mind his own business as long as he gets his credits and no-one wants to fuck him sideways.

Cohen Pillar looked at Riddick with disapproval. But – business is business. "I have to see them before I can commit to anything, Mr. McLark," he said.

Behind his goggles, Riddick glared at the man. But all he showed out was a sharp nod as he turned. He knew Pillar would fallow him to the port. And Riddick was right. Two of them reached Mortimer Nova in a short time. Riddick knew there were Pillar's men hiding all around them. But Pillar was a powerful man in a middle of a war; naturally he needed protection from men like Riddick.

Riddick opened the cargo hold and let Pillar in. After examining the weapons, he agreed to buy them. They had a short debate over the price, but finally they shook hands. Riddick opened the doors again to start loading the boxes to Pillar's vehicle.

"Actually, Mr. McLark, I just got a better idea. Wouldn't the Empire listen to us if we captured its greatest enemy? Let's say an escaped convict, mass murderer?" Pillar said and he sounded so damn clever to himself.

As he had said that, the first tranquilizer dart was shot to Riddick's back.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

Jack reached Mortimer Nova just in time to see Riddick breaking some guy's scull. She stopped in her tracks and watched in horror. _What the fuck is going on?_ There were at least 15 years men, guns or knives in hand. Four of them were tackling Riddick, which made it impossible for the others to shoot at Riddick. He just wasn't an open target.

Jack hid herself, but kept on watching. Riddick had a shiv in both hands; and those hands weren't moving as fast as Jack remembered Riddick to be. _What's slowing him down?_ As she was pondering about that, Jack saw the darts in his back. _Poison or tranquilizer?_ Jack worried. She was mad with herself for worrying over a man who had almost raped her, but she couldn't help herself not to. Jack's heart ached more with every hit those strange men got on Riddick.

Jack could see him now being almost too weak to fight back. The men came closer and a circle of them hid Riddick from Jack's sight. A panic question made her head ache – _go to help him or not?_ Everything seemed to be in slow motion. Jack felt like she had watched the fight for at least ten minutes, when she knew only one had passed. _Thus, for how many more minutes or seconds can he continue?_

After a short while Jack saw how one of the men threw Riddick to the ground with many strong foot kicks. Riddick didn't have enough strength left to hold his balance. And when he was down, other men jumped in too to hit him wherever possible. _They are like vultures,_ Jack thought angrily. She could hear them shouting insults to Riddick, who was now completely overpowered.

Seeing her ex-friend, ex-idol and teacher like this, broke her heart. But what could she do? There were so many of them! She would only get herself killed. _And maybe it would be the best to let it go…_

Jack watched as one man, who looked to be their leader, stepped closer. "Chain him and take him to the vehicle," he said. "Richard B. Riddick, you are more valuable to use than your cargo. But we'll take it too anyway."

His men laughed and the leader walked away, out of the lights from the cargo hold. Last thing Jack saw, before the man disappeared into the darkness, was a wide smile on his lips. _Bastard,_ Jack cursed under her breath. She watched as the men got to work. They took shackles and chained Riddick. Then they dragged his unconscious body to their transport. Jack felt guilty, even though her mind told her she didn't owe anything to Riddick. She wondered if she should have done something. _But it's too late now…_

Jack heard the loud noise their machine made as it started to leave the port. On an instinct, Jack sprinted out of the shadows. She ran after them. Because of the war and bombing, the streets were wrecked. They had to stop for careful maneuvering. That allowed Jack to track them, even though she was only on foot. Sometimes Jack lost them from her sight, but caught up again soon, after forcing her long legs to run faster.

Jack followed them to the border of the city. There was a huge old factory building, looked like it hadn't been used for years now. Jack hid behind a smaller building and watched how they pulled Riddick out and took him inside. Jack frowned. She needed to get a clearer view of what's this all about.

Jack didn't know why she did it all, she just felt like she had to save Riddick no matter what. Hence, she sneaked pass the many guards and found her way up to the roof. Riddick had taught her well; those so called guards were a piece of cake.

There were three large windows facing the roof. Jack carefully stepped closer to one, not wanting to alarm the guards inside who might hear her move. She looked in and grimaced. They had tied Riddick to the floor, arms and legs spread in four corners of a square. He lay on his stomach, unconscious.

It took Jack hours to find out what was really happening. She would listen to the guards as they spoke to each other, and she would keep an eye on the leader. When Jack had a pretty good idea of the overall situation, she decided it was time to make her move. _But what move?_ she screamed in her mind, helplessness rising panic in her.

Cohen Pillar was sitting on a chair behind a desk near Riddick. The man found it amusing to tell Riddick what they are going to do to him and how Riddick will help them to fight for the right cause. Riddick had been up for only 20 minutes, the poison in his blood still keeping him weak.

"I have an offer for you," Jack spoke, loud and clear. She had lifted herself in from the roof window and climbed down the wall. Now she was standing 20 feet away from Pillar.

He jumped up as the guards came running closer. "Who are you?" Pillar demanded, but in great confusion.

"I'm Jack LaRock. I'm sure you've heard of me. I'm the rockstar," Jack told him casually. She didn't allow herself to let them see how frightened she truly was. _Brave is only the person who conquers her fears,_ Jack thought.

Riddick lifted his head the little he could due to the many chains. "Jack, get out! It's not your fight. Don't be stupid," he managed to say hoarsely.

Pillar yelled for him to shut his mouth. Then he took another look at Jack. "And what deal can you offer to me?" he asked insultingly. It was clear he didn't think that much of Jack.

Jack shrugged. "You want the Empire to listen to you. I am fucking famous; I've got millions of fans. People would listen to me if I spoke in your favor. And the Empire would have to listen to those millions," she told him calmly. "I am offering myself. If you let Riddick go."

There was silence as Pillar thought about it. "How do I know you really are that rockstar?" he asked.

"There are papers on Riddick's ship to prove it," Jack told him. "We can go there and you'll see."

Pillar was thinking. Jack could almost see how he thought of a very clever little idea. His face lit up even though Pillar tried to hide it. So Jack said: "And before you tell your men to capture me too, I have to warn you. There is a letter I gave to a friend of mine, with a press statement by the way. And it says all the bad, bad things about you, your people and your cause. If I don't show up tomorrow to take it back, he is going to send it to every single media channel. The whole galaxy would start to hate you," Jack lied without hesitation. She had no letter, but… _I have nothing to loose now…_

Pillar frowned and turned to walk around a bit to figure out what all of this meant. Jack looked at Riddick. He seemed angry. _So what else is new?_ she thought cynically.

Pillar turned to talk to Jack again. "Why are you trying to save this criminal?" he asked with absolute bewilderment.

Jack thought about the very same question. "He's the man I love and I'd die for him a thousand times if it meant his happiness," she said sincerely. Jack could hear Riddick inhaling sharply at her replay. Then Riddick cursed. _Yeah, that's exactly what a girl want s to hear right after confessing her love for him – fuck, bitch, shit, crap, etc, etc...,_ Jack thought dryly.

But Jack didn't dare to look at Riddick. She just felt so stupid right about then. Here se was – 18 year old girl, surrounded by all those men, talking of deals and love. _Pff!_ So she concentrated on the leader, the asshole Pillar.

"Yes… Maybe there is love. That's a good motive to do something like…this," he said. Jack had a feeling he meant to say ´for doing something stupid. Jack agreed with him on that one. _This was so stupid! Time to re-arrange your plans, girl!_ "You are willing to stay as our captive in this place?" Pillar asked.

Something clicked in her mind. Jack lowered her head to hide the small smile. "Yes."

She couldn't see the huge grin on Pillar's face. But his cheerful voice was enough to make her sick. He said: "Fine! Let's go to the ship then!"

Jack had to bargain a little to make sure her sacrifice wouldn't be for nothing. "Riddick comes with us."

Pillar frowned again. But he agreed and Riddick was lifted from the floor. His hands and feet were still tied up, but there was no convincing Pillar to untie him. Unfortunately, Riddick was still too weak to break free by himself. Jack saw that he had trouble with even just sitting up without falling over. This worried Jack. _But maybe he's acting to fool the 5 men guarding him?_ Jack could only hope.

They reached the ship again. The cargo hold was left open, but since it was late at night, no-one had had a chance to steal Mortimer Nova yet. They went in that way and climbed up to the main room. The chest was still in its usual corner.

"Let's carry it out," Jack offered innocently. It was a signal for Riddick about what she was planning to do. "It's too dark here. We moderated the lights because of Riddick's eyes," Jack kept on lying. She was back in the Miss Goody Two Shoes mode. It seemed to work so far.

Pillar agreed and motioned for a bulky guy to take it. When they were outside, Pillar looked at the chest excitedly. "How will it open?" he asked, since he couldn't see a handle anywhere.

"Oh, just push the big red button that said ´Push to OPEN," she instructed while taking a small step back. Riddick was already further, two men holding him.

"But what is this dial with numbers for?" Pillar asked with concern.

Jack acted her part. "There should be a code, but I never got around inserting it. Never imagined someone would beat Riddick and therefore gain access to it," Jack said. She lowered her eyes as if she was ashamed of her stupidity as well as of the fact her trust in Riddick hadn't been justified.

Pillar laughed. "That's were you were wrong, little lady!" he roared with laughter.

"Yeah…" Jack sighed. _Stupid motherfucker!_

Pillar neared the chest, still smiling. And he pushed the big red button.

A fraction of a second before his finger reached the button, Jack jumped to the ground. Pillar saw that from the corner of his eye. He thought: _What the hell?_ But it was too late to stop himself. He pressed the button. With that, the iron chest exploded.

Jack was on the ground - hands over her head, face down - when a little wave of fire and destructive energy blew over her. It was hot, it was loud and the iron pieces that landed on her were flaming and very sharp. _Not nice!_ When it was over, she looked behind, where Pillar had been. His body was ripped to pieces. _Ok, I think a little heat wasn't that bad after all._ Hurriedly Jack rose to her feet and shiv appeared in her hand. She went to free Riddick.

The guards had been as surprised by the explosion as Pillar must have been. Riddick took advantage of the diversion and pulled his hands free. Broken chains fell to the pavement. Before the guards around him could even raise a hand, Riddick sank his elbow in the face of the man to Riddick's left. The guard on the right started to reach for his gun, but Riddick was faster. He took a hold of the mans head with his two hands and cracked his neck with a solid move.

Jack had moved herself behind one guard as he gaped in astonishment looking at Riddick's handiwork. Jack cut his throat. _Now, that was almost too easy,_ she thought cruelly. Jack looked back at Riddick. He still hadn't had the time to free his feet, so he stood in the same position, using only his bare hands to defend himself. _Two to go,_ Jack counted.

Both of the still alive guards were angry as hell. They carried the tranquilizer guns and blades. One had already tried to fire the dart at Riddick, but thankfully he had been fast enough to dodge it. The dart hit the wall behind Riddick. Seeing as the tranquilizer guns carry only one dart before needing to be recharged, Jack chose to take down the other guard.

Jack didn't bother anymore to move silently. The man had already seen her coming. Jack picked up her speed and ran to him head first. The guard lifted his gun, but couldn't get a clear shot fast enough. Jack jumped up in the middle of her run when she had reached the asshole, so to speak. Her martial arts training kicked in as she flung her foot to the man's head. Everything went slow again for Jack. She felt like she hadn't touched the ground at least for 10 seconds. The impact of the strong collision made both of them to fall down, few feet apart. Jack stood up faster, most likely because she wasn't the one with serious brain concussion. Or maybe because she was so fucking pissed off.

Jack saw her opponent starting to get up and she moved quickly. She sank the heel of her combat boot to the guy's chest and felt the ribs giving in. _Good._ The man screamed, but Jack couldn't have cared less. She kicked him the same way again and again, until his lungs had collapsed and heart cut by the broken ribs. _How tragic, yet necessary – we all need to release the stress somehow,_ Jack thought when she brutally killed the man.

Riddick had already finished off the last guard. But it looked like it had taken last of his energy. Jack rushed over to him and supported him by the waist. "Get a move on it, Riddick!" she told him angrily.

He walked closer to the ship, legs ready to give out in every second. Jack tried to help him as much as possible, but Riddick was so goddamned heavy! "Show me what you're made of, Furian!" she yelled at him in final desperation.

It seemed to work though. He moved on faster and leaned less on Jack's small frame. They passed the Pillar's remains and entered the cargo hold. Seemed like Riddick could stumble forward on his own, so Jack stayed behind a little to lock the doors. Thankfully the self-destructive mechanism built on Jack's iron chest, had gone off in safe distance from Mortimer Nova. So the ship was ready to go, all good and clear.

Finally they were strapped in and started the take off. There was no point in asking for the clearance from the Tower – they must have seen the light of the explosion and wanted to ask questions. So they had to fly blind and pray there won't be a crash with some other ship. It took an intense hour to get far enough from planet Padja to have a safe starjump. After all that hassle, Riddick finally switched on the autopilot. Then he faced Jack. He was dead tired, but wanted to ask a few questions anyway.

"It was a crazy stunt you pulled there, kid! Why did you do it?" he asked, showing more anger than first intended.

"You're welcome," Jack snapped at him. Riddick had taken off his goggles when they had exited atmosphere. Now, Jack could see him rolling his shiny eyes at her replay.

"It took guts. Well done, Jack. Couldn't have done it better myself," Riddick said warmly and didn't hide that he was proud of her.

Jack was happy to be so appreciated. But she wasn't going to jump up and down or clap her hands just because of this. "You have saved my ass so many times. Figured it was my turn. Let's call it even," she said very calmly and fatally.

Riddick didn't smile either. If Jack hadn't known better she would have thought that he had some serious tooth problem and wanted to hide it by never opening his mouth. Riddick only nodded.

"I'm going to bed," Jack told him and left.

* * *

Jack woke up late at the afternoon. She hadn't slept the night before the shit hit the fan. So a long sleep was well deserved. Jack put on the clothes she had worn yesterday and went to look for Riddick. She didn't have any weapons in hand, but she had to take the risk and face him bare arms. He was in the kitchen, making a snack for himself. Jack joined in, since she was starving. 

"Riddick, I have a bit of a problem," she finally said in a very business-like manner.

Riddick raised his head, while munching his sandwich. He didn't say a thing and Jack knew it wasn't because it's not polite to talk with full mouth.

Jack explained: "All of my stuff was left behind to Padja or blown up. My clothes, guitar, papers."

"We're not going back there," he said.

"Thought you're gonna say that," Jack muttered under her breath.

Riddick put his food down. "I'll buy you all those things. It's the least I can do," he offered. Riddick didn't sound angry at all, he said it like it was an everyday thing. Jack wondered whether Riddick might think things between then stand differently now just because Jack saved his sorry ass.

"Riddick, I am still going to leave you," she said quietly.

Riddick looked at her, but lowered his gaze immediately. "Jack, let's do it this way. Tomorrow we can land on Pluralis. We can go and buy all the stuff you need during the day. No strings attached. At the evening, we could go out and ´have fun as you call it. The next morning you can tell me if you still want to go. I won't hold you back if you really want to leave then."

Jack had doubts, a whole bunch of them. "It all sounds great and so remarkably unusual, but… Oh, I don't know, Riddick…"

Riddick looked deep into her eyes and he smiled. "Let's go to a bar, Jack."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! Thanks for all the advice you gave me as well! I hope you like how I wrote this chapter and how I made things turn out. And sorry about taking it so long – with school and work it can get really hard sometimes to write…

* * *

Riddick did seem really sorry for what he had done earlier. Riddick did seem want to make Jack happy again. Jack could see all that. _But does it matter anymore?_ she asked herself. _It's not about the rape anymore, it's the whole ´ME – the biggest, toughest guy in Galaxy; YOU – little worm thing_. Jack just didn't know if she could respect herself anymore if she forgave it all so easily.

Jack desperately wanted to give Riddick another chance. Life with Riddick was the only life she knew! Despite all the shit flying around, it was the safest and best life she had known in her 18 years of life! But can Riddick really change? Will Jack settle with all the both mental and physical abuse just because life without Riddick is even scarier than life with him?

But Jack had agreed to give him one more day. What else did she have to loose? She was wondering if she even hated him deep down inside, in the far corners of her heart. _I mean, I did run after that gang when they captured Riddick, without even thinking about it. I did put my life on line and I did mean all the things I said to Pillar about loving Riddick. So maybe, not now, but one day, I could forgive him, _Jack asked herself over and over again.

_And it would be easier to go, knowing he had been given another chance. Easier for the both of us. If Riddick fucks this one up too, then… I haven't lost anything, but one day out of my life. _Jack wasn't sure if she had done the right decision. That made her very edgy.

So they landed on Pluralis. It was a nice place, where many people chose to spend their vacation at. Jack had to admit – if she's going to split, then this was a much better place to settle down at.

Riddick didn't show any emotion about how he felt about Jack's agreement to give him the extra day. He just didn't know how to feel about it. It had forced him to swallow his pride just to ask for one more chance. And that is a very hard thing for any man, but especially for a man like Riddick. Nevertheless, he was also happy, and angry, and nervous and confident – all at the same time. He wasn't much of a drama queen, so he just decided to enjoy the day even if it would be his last happy one.

Riddick went up to Jack after they had docked. "I can do nothing about the papers, but the clothes are waiting," he said to her. His voice carried the ease he didn't feel.

Jack turned to look at Riddick and caught up on his attempt to lighten the mood. "Yeah, but if I really need the papers, then I'm sure I can work out some kind of a deal with the studio. I'm not sure if I want to do it though," she said casually, but not with the same fondness in her voice it used to carry. "And I remember all my songs by heart."

Riddick nodded. It felt like the two of them had agreed upon temporary peace. After all – how else could they enjoy the day? Bitter remarks do not make the best conversation…

Soon the stepped out of Mortimer Nova and cruised down the streets. There were shops and cafés everywhere, crowded with tourists. Nobody paid attention to Jack and Riddick. Maybe the rich folk was so determined to not let two figures so out of their element to ruin their holydays that they pretended to not even see Jack and Riddick. No matter what, the criminal and the rockstar had good time together.

Since Riddick was sort of a color-blind and didn't give a damn about different labels and styles, he agreed with every choice Jack made. She mostly preferred her usual stuff – black and white simple and comfortable clothes. But then she saw IT. IT was hanging on the window. Jack just stared, hungry look in her eyes.

"Would that look good on me?" She asked form Riddick eagerly and pointed to the window.

"What – the blouse? Yes, it's nice" he gave his automatic response.

"No!" she told him. "The mini-skirt!" Jack explained. It was faded dark denim, low cut and sexy skirt. Riddick couldn't see anything but the fact that it was short. Too short.

Riddick didn't like it. Jack wearing shorts was bad enough, but a mini-skirt… Then again, she like it and Riddick was supposed to play nice today. "It's … cute."

Jack beamed. "And I could wear it to the bar tonight."

Riddick only groaned, but he did it so silently, that Jack missed it in her excitement completely. She pulled him inside and after that there was no way of keeping her from buying the skirt.

Once she stepped out of the booth, Riddick had to admit it though - Jack looked good in it. Hot. And he stood by - frowning, but shut - as Jack bought the damn thing.

Finally they had purchased all she needed for immediate survival. Riddick felt tired. A man who had once escaped Butcher Bay was now worn out by a little shopping spree. The only time he had gotten some rest during the past three hours, was when Jack went to the lingerie store. Both of them had liked the silent agreement that Riddick would wait outside, on the street. Riddick was sure he wouldn't have been able to see Jack waltzing around in underwear and not take her. _My, my, aren't I now just what the holy man used to preach about,_ Riddick thought to himself grimly. Also, Riddick knew fully well that Jack would have been highly uncomfortable because of…everything.

Yesterday had been Jack's birthday. Riddick knew it, but didn't say a thing. He just didn't know how to be this cheerful and carefree guy Jack seemed to want him to be. Riddick didn't do heart to heart confessions about his feelings. He didn't do soul-searching and sure as hell he did not do birthday parties. Maybe because he himself had never felt like celebrating his birth. Being thrown to the trash bin as an infant can do that…

Yet, all this was waiting for him now – a day after Jack's big 18th. Riddick knew he had to somehow explain everything he has been going through. That was the only way to convince Jack to stay.

Now, they dropped the boxes and bags onto Jack's mattress. Riddick had an uncomfortable feeling that it was his time to speak. He watched as Jack played with her new stuff like a kid, both of them smiled. Then Riddick took a big breath and started.

"I want to talk to you, Jack."

"Yea? What about?" she asked casually while turning her attention back to her new guitar. It was a newer version of what she had before. Riddick had insisted upon buying a better one.

"About…how I've been acting," he said very constrainedly.

Jack looked up at him sharply. "Riddick," she said carefully as if walking on thin ice. "Could we do this later? This conversation might go bad… Hell – I am pretty sure it will! But… Let's just enjoy the day and we can talk after we come back from the bar."

Riddick exhaled slowly. He nodded and a lot of his built up anxiety wore off. He was crateful. Maybe all this will be easier for him after few drinks?

"I'm gonna take a shower," Jack told him.

"OK," Riddick replied. For a moment there he felt like everything was back to normal, or how it should have always been. It had been hard to even say that he wanted to talk; now he was happy to find that it hadn't been that hard at all to look weak in front of Jack. _Maybe I really could do this…_

* * *

Jack was ready to hit the bar. She had been in the bathroom for a whole hour. Now she looked at herself for the final check. Jack had applied some mascara and eye shadow, making her eyes smoky. She didn't have a lot of make-up nor was she that good at applying it. So, her face was rather neutral except for the dark eyes. It only brought out her natural beauty even more. Jack's hair was left down, the dark waves danced across her back.

Jack stepped out of the bathroom and went to the main room. She knew that Riddick would be there, cleaning his shivs again or something like that. Without a word she stepped into his line of view and turned around in front of him many times. "Watcha think?" Jack asked.

If Riddick wouldn't have been so in control of his actions, then he would have dropped the shiv he was sharpening. He looked at the smiling Jack and couldn't tear his eyes away from him. She was wearing that mini-skirt, her regular combat boots and a tight little white t-shirt that showed a little of her toned belly. Her outfit wasn't really all that special, but somehow Jack managed to look absolutely irresistible in it. The hair and make-up only emphasized her uniqueness.

"You look good, Jack," Riddick said and was surprised by his own ability to hide the impact Jack had made on him.

Jack's smile grew even wider. "Thanks, but don't you really think I don't look too plain or something?" she asked worriedly. "I don't know what people wear to bars these days. Maybe I should show more cleavage…"

"No, you're perfect," Riddick answered honestly. Also, the image of Jack showing off all she got, was a bit nerve wrecking. This time though, Jack could see his truthfulness. Jack smiled warmly at that.

"So, are you ready?" Jack asked eagerly. Jack couldn't wait for another minute. In her excitement she had completely forgotten all the problems she had with her companion.

"Yes," he answered. "Do you carry any?" he asked and fiddled skillfully with a shiv in his hand.

"Yeah, two in my boots, plus a pocket-knife," she said. Jack had already understood that Riddick would never let her leave ship unarmed, no matter what. She fully agreed with his reasons too – no need to be stupid.

"Let's get going then," he said and opened the ramp. Riddick placed a protective arm around her waist as they walked through the city. It was dark, but the streets were full of people anyway, as it's common for the tourist traps. Both of them found the closeness very comfortable, but didn't talk about it. Instead, Jack chit-chatted about this and that, Riddick was happy to listen. They were so happy, looking like just about every other couple on the street.

They chose a bar a little off the main street. They went in. It was rather dark big room with a long bar and the dancefloor. Riddick led Jack to the bar and they sat. Riddick ordered drinks.

"Whiskey for me and… What do you take, Jack?" he asked. Riddick was hoping she would choose lemonade or something.

"The same for me, thanks," Jack told to the bartender.

Riddick sighed in surrender and paid for them. He looked around the bar. "That's not that bad," the ever optimistic man said.

Jack smiled wickedly. "Safe enough for me?" she asked.

Riddick smiled. "Only as long as you keep that skirt from hitching up too high," he replied in the quite same manner.

Jack laughed at that. "Cheers!" and they both raised their glasses before taking a sip. Jack started to cough the moment the whiskey went down. "God, it burns!" she said in-between breaths.

Riddick patted her a little on the back and said: "You'll get a hang of it, kid."

And the time passed on. Jack had a great time. Riddick was the only man in the whole galaxy she wanted to spend time with anyway; and this new, more laidback Riddick made it very easy and fun. As minutes and hours passed, Riddick himself was surprised to find that he had relaxed and enjoyed being out with Jack. She would tell him all sorts of things – both about her past, but also like snappy comments about other people. Riddick naturally kept one eye open and all his senses alert for any trouble. But thankfully everything went smoothly.

"Wanna dance, sunshine?" a man stepped up to Jack and asked her slyly.

Jack looked him over. He was all right, for just a dance that is. Jack looked at Riddick as is asking for his approval. Inside Jack felt stupid for caring about Riddick's "permission", but she was just so used to it after all those years. Also, she didn't want to ruin the night by provoking him.

"Yeah. Go, kid," he said quietly and touched her shoulder. Jack smiled happily and turned to go.

When Jack had turned her back to the bar, Riddick sent a death-glare to the sleazy guy. And he saw it. For a moment he seemed confused as of how or why he had dared to steal a girl from a man like THAT anyway. The guy stepped back and looked warily at Jack. Since she hadn't seen the exchange, she light-heartedly placed her hand on the guy's bicep and they went to the dancefloor.

There were many couples dancing to the cool pop music. Jack found it so easy to move her body, the beat was great and the lightshow made her loose any shyness she possessed. Her partner was good enough – didn't grab her or come too close. After two songs Jack went back to Riddick.

"Don't you want to dance? Sunshine?" Jack asked Riddick and laughed loudly.

"No, that ain't my thing," he said gloomily.

Jack sat on her stool again and took his hand in hers. "What's wrong?" she asked worriedly. The alcohol had already started to kick in, making all of her emotions run wild.

Riddick shrugged. "Nothing. Who was this guy?" he asked instead.

Jack gaped at him. "So that's what this is all about? That I danced with someone?" she asked, stunned.

Riddick shook his head. "No, of course not. You're a grown-up and… Happy birthday, by the way."

Jack frowned. She ignored the b-day part and told Riddick: "You can't keep watching over me all the time."

Riddick took a big gulp of his drink and didn't say anything for a while. And when he did, he sounded so sad. "That's something I wanted to talk about."

Jack leaned back a little. She knew it was that talk, the one he had wanted to have on the ship already. Even though Jack was really afraid of its outcome, she needed to hear what Riddick had to say. "Go ahead," she said quietly.

Riddick didn't know where to begin. Suddenly he had so much to say, that he didn't find the words for it all. "Because I do know that. That I can't keep watching over you anymore. That you have grown up. And that fucking freaks me out!"

Jack didn't understand. "Why, Riddick?" she asked.

Riddick sighed and looked into her beautiful eyes. "Lets go back to the ship. Lets buy a bottle and lets get drunk on Martimer Nova. There are too many people here," he said. Riddick looked to be in some sort of bad mood again.

So Jack asked suspiciously: "Are you trying to buy time?"

"No! I just can't talk about it here," he explained.

Jack thought a bit. "OK," she said. Jack knew it must be really, really hard for Riddick. And all those strange people milling around didn't help at all.

They left with a bottle of whiskey in Riddick's hand. His other hand automatically found its natural place at Jack's waist. They reached Mortimer Nova without any trouble in sight. Riddick sat on his bed and Jack – with two glasses in hand that she had brought from the kitchen – sat down besides him. They drank in silence. And although Riddick had been right telling Jack she would get used to the whiskey, she didn't particularly like it.

Riddick was deep in thought, staring in the darkness. Jack's patience was wearing thin. "Well?" she finally asked.

"Well, what?" Riddick asked back, startled from his thoughts.

"Why are you freaked out by my growing up?" she asked again.

Riddick still didn't look at her. He couldn't look at her, when he was bearing her his soul. He said: "Because you are a grown-up and therefore you don't need me anymore. Now, you don't have any reason to stay with me. I don't have any reason to make you stay with me. That freaks me out. You are such a … special person, Jack. Beautiful inside out. You have so many opportunities now. There is a much better life out there just waiting for you, kid," Riddick said sadly with his quiet voice and motioned to the whole wide galaxy outside. He didn't say anything else and Jack was too shocked as well to ask for anything yet.

After collecting herself, she asked in bewilderment: "You would be sad if I left? Really?"

Riddick looked as if Jack had suddenly grown second head. "Yeah, I would! Why do you even need to ask this?"

"Because you never told me that you like to have me around!" she told him accusingly. "I have lived the past five years fearing for the day to come when you kick me out!"

Riddick asked: "Why would you think that?"

"Because! I always mess up; and because you were never really happy; because I only hold you back…" Jack said.

Riddick shook his head. "Got it all wrong, Jack. You know I'm a selfish SOB – I never offered you a chance to go with holy man. I knew then as I do now, that you are the best part of my life. And… I have also always known you deserve something much better than life with me."

Jack couldn't understand this sudden new course. "You never acted like it."

Riddick shrugged again and this time he spoke very slowly. "Maybe I was trying not to let you too close. I always knew you would go one day."

"I wouldn't have wanted to go if you hadn't jumped on me in the cargo hold!" she told him sarcastically.

Riddick took a big gulp. "Yeah," he said. "I fucked that one up, that's for sure."

Silence fell upon them. It was a delicate subject that neither of them felt comfortable talking about. Finally, Jack opened her mouth, carefully avoiding looking at Riddick. "Why did you do it?"

Riddick didn't answer right away. His usual low voice sounded so tender when he said: "I am really sorry for it, Jack. I don't know what came over me. One moment I just thought that you want some guy to fuck you. I could see it in my mind – some guy touching you, being in you. Rage took over me and all I could think about was making you mine. Claiming you mine."

Jack didn't dare to breathe. This moment was so easy to break, and Jack didn't want Riddick to close up again. Slowly she whispered: "Do you want me to be yours?" Jack couldn't believe she had really dared to ask this, so she blamed it on the booze even though she had never felt so alert in her life.

Riddick hesitated. This was an answer that could make him or break him in his own eyes. He felt it deep in his bones. He needed to be honest one more time. After some time, still avoiding any contact with Jack, Riddick stated simply: "I have wanted you for a very long time, Jack. But even I know I'm no good to you. Wanting you is wrong of me, and I am sorry for that, Jack."

Jack listened in darkness and hope in her rose again. She had to be brave and talk to him! "So, if I tell you that I want you too, then you would turn me down?" she asked hesitatingly.

Riddick turned to her sharply and asked: "What games are you playing, Jack?"

"No games! Just that – you want me and I want you… Do the math."

Riddick's shiny eyes were flaming. He did the math. He did imagine how things could be. He shook his head and said: "You're only dreaming, you don't know what you're talking about… There are millions of men out there who can give you all the things you need. Make you happy and all that shit. I know I can't."

Jack was angry. Why did Riddick have to be such a crazy damn ducker? "This doesn't make any sense!" she told him furiously. "Why do you think that?"

"Because you haven't even seen what life has to offer. You have stayed with me and missed out on a lot! You don't even know what to ask for in life!" he explained passionately.

"I was a runaway!"

"As a kid! You'd see things differently now!"

Jack looked at him, her eyes wide and mouth hanging open. "Since when did you start being so damn caring?"

Riddick smiled unhappily. "Since I found out what love is, I guess."

Jack looked at him a while longer. She didn't know what to say. Never ever had she thought a day like this could come! A day when Riddick would act as if his body had been abducted by aliens. When she would feel like something more dreadful than the monsters from Hell-planet is coming nearer and nearer.

"I'm going to bed," she said instead. She grabbed her boxers and wifebeater and changed into them in the bathroom. When she came out Riddick was still sitting on his bed the same way she had left him. Riddick's face was as if cut from stone. There was only a determined, yet unbelievably lost look in his eyes.

Jack climbed under the covers and hugged her pillow. Just as she was about to fall asleep, Riddick said quietly: "After all this, I still wish you'd stay, Jack. Will you?"

Jack listened to her heart. There was only word she could answer. "No."

* * *

THE END

* * *

But what about a sequel? wink 


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